


A Pause Between Terrors

by Nevanna



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Episode Tag, M/M, Missing Scene, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna
Summary: After their encounter with the Stranger, Martin and Jon take a moment to collect their thoughts.  [An episode tag for 165.]
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	A Pause Between Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Nelja for giving me one of the ideas for this scene. <3

As the carousel’s music faded behind them, Martin gave Jon’s hand a squeeze. “Stop for a bit?” he suggested. “I suppose we don’t need to rest, as such, but you look like you need to collect your thoughts.”

The harsh lines of Jon’s face softened, just a fraction. “Perhaps,” he agreed.

They sat down upon one of the many fallen trees, and as Jon surveyed the fire-blackened remains of the forest, his face twitched as it sometimes did when Knowledge was about to strike. “Want me to leave you alone?” Martin asked.

“I don’t think…” Jon went still for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. The Desolation has been here, but I haven’t the urge to tell its story.” He stared at his hands. “That said, if there’s another reason why you might want some distance…”

“Why would I… oh.” The air had been thick with static and the screams of the Not-Sasha, and Martin had wanted to avert his eyes and had known that he couldn’t if his life depended on it. “Did you really think you were going to scare me away?” he asked now.

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had.”

“I’ve known what you were capable of since Peter…” Martin cut himself off. Neither the peaceful weeks before the Change, nor the unmarked time since, had settled his feelings about Peter or the quiet of the Lonely. “And you just reminded me of what you’ll do to protect us.” He covered Jon’s hand with his own. “Even from things that _didn’t_ kill our friend and rewrite our memories so we couldn’t…” His voice caught. “Couldn’t even miss her.”

Jon stroked Martin’s knuckles with his thumb, a silent gesture of understanding. “All the same, I…” He carefully slid his hand free. “When I showed it the suffering it had caused, I was still using other people’s pain to feed the Eye, the same as I’ve always done, and it felt glorious.”

The words _It looked glorious_ flashed through Martin’s mind before he could stifle them.

“Before our journey’s over,” Jon continued, “what if one of the monsters threatening you is…”

“Is _you_?” Martin finished for him. “We’ve been through this. And you said yourself that we can’t know the future.” They couldn’t predict what Jon would become, or what Martin would have to do to keep him from harming others. He couldn’t begin to guess at the horrors that awaited them as soon as they started moving again, or whether he would be able to save Jon from being consumed by his god, the way Jon had pulled him back from the Lonely. He could only reach for Jon’s hand again, lift it to cup his own cheek, and summon every scrap of his awe and trust and exasperation and delight and gratitude and _devotion_ that he’d felt – by turns and sometimes all at once – for the man beside him, since long before they’d started walking through the world’s nightmares. “Let me show you how I see you right now.”


End file.
